Chapter 337: Rising Step by Step
As firecrackers began to ring outside the Wan Family’s home, Bai Zehao, with his bride loaded on his back, left the premises, heading for the Bai Family yard.
The wedding procession faithfully followed them, Bai Ruozhu clinging closely behind her elder brother this time. According to tradition, the bride’s feet must not touch the ground along the way, so she had to be careful not to stumble. Ever alert, Ruozhu was ready to lend a helping hand if necessary.
Her parents and second elder brother were also nearby to provide assistance. After a short while, they could hear Bai Zehao’s panting; carrying a person on his back was indeed tiring.
"Zehao, why don’t we slow down a bit?" Lin Ping suggested in a low voice.
Bai Zehao didn’t answer, instead shaking his head slightly and pressing onwards. Bai Ruozhu whispered to her mother: "Elder brother wants to power through in one go. If he stops to take a break, he might not have the strength to continue."
Lin Ping figured that made sense, so she held her silence. It was freezing, and they were already bundled up in thick clothes. The bride’s ceremonial attire was even more layered, making it a challenge for Bai Zehao to keep her from sliding off his back. It seemed they needed to readjust her position occasionally.
Bai Ruozhu thought her elder brother must have overeaten boiled eggs, which gave him an upset stomach and left him panting for breath. The old-fashioned tradition of carrying the bride certainly wasn’t easy. It was perfect, she thought; men should not get things too easily. That way, they would cherish them more in the future.
Nonetheless, she glanced over at her scrawny second elder brother and creased her eyebrows. How would he manage to carry his bride on his thin frame?
Bai Zepei caught his sister’s gaze and retorted: "What are you working out now? Trying to calculate how to get the better of your second elder brother again?"
Bai Ruozhu stuck out her tongue at him, but didn’t get into a verbal tussle. She needed to keep a close eye on their elder brother’s condition.
When they passed the old mansion, everyone chose to stay well clear of its foul stench, drawing away from the door and letting out suppressed giggles. They speculated just how furious the inhabitants of the yard must be.
Just then, the yard echoed with the furious roar of Sanlang: "Sister, don’t stop me. Without them, Dad wouldn’t have been exiled. I will kill them!"
Bai Ruozhu raised her eyebrows slightly. She observed that Sanlang had become even more irritable after losing his leg, showing no signs of calming down while resting at home. Instead, he became tempestuous, constantly threatening to kill others. She remembered that he had once threatened to kill the widow Zhou if she dared to step foot in their house.
Fortunately, with a crippled leg, Sanlang lacked the physical strength to back his threats. Otherwise, there would have been a real commotion today. Bai Ruozhu silently commended herself once again for her decision to hire a hitman to injure Sanlang. How wise she had been!
Inside the Bai family’s yard, Bai Ruolan was struggling to hold Sanlang back. Finally losing her temper, she yelled: "Who can you even hack at with your crippled leg? Don’t let me catch you falling down again or you’ll have to regrow your leg!"
No sooner had she finished speaking, than a crisp slap echoed around them. No one could see what was happening inside, but everyone recognized the sound of a slap landing on a face. It was immediately followed by a piercing scream and sobs from Bai Ruolan, "I am your sister! How dare you slap me!"
The crowd shook their heads in disapproval. Bai Yibo had failed to raise his son well. Sanlang dared to slap Ruolan for giving him a piece of advice. Respect for age and status was missing.
Bai Ruozhu smirked slightly, quickly moved on with her elder brother, and let the old mansion continue its racket. She found it odd that the old master hadn’t shown his face yet. Considering her elder brother’s swollen face from the beating he received the other day, Ruozhu felt things weren’t going to end this easily.
At last, Bai Zehao managed to carry Wan Caiyue to the entrance of their home. With a resounding explosion of firecrackers, set off by Bai Lu, Bai Ruozhu hurriedly placed two dried rice cakes at the entrance. She helped Caiyue step on both the rice cakes and thus completed the "rising higher with each step" tradition.
All the onlookers gave their approval, cheering on the couple as they were officially welcomed into the main hall. The master of ceremonies for the wedding, village head Wang Shugen, had been waiting in the hall for quite some time.
As soon as Bai Ruozhu stepped into the yard, she spotted the cool, detached figure standing aloof in a corner. He wasn’t talking to anyone, just standing silently. Even in the bustling yard, his calm and aloof presence didn’t seem out of place; he was exactly the cold and detached person she had known.
His eyes, shimmering brightly behind the mask, met hers. Ruozhu locked gazes with him, returning a warm smile.
Jiang Yichun was utterly enchanted by that smile. For a moment, everything else ceased to exist for him. His entire world was enveloped by Bai Ruozhu’s radiant smile.
It was only when Li Shunsheng walked up to him that Jiang Yichun managed to snap out of his trance.
"My lord, they asked me to give a speech later. Why don’t you do it instead?" The Bai Family suggested that Li Shunsheng, as the parent official with the highest status, should give a speech to bless the newlyweds. However, Li Shunsheng knew there was another person with higher rank than his present.
"No need, your words would suffice. You’re the parent official after all." Jiang Yichun replied indifferently. He didn’t like public speaking, nor did he enjoy being the center of attention.
Upon hearing this, Li Shunsheng briskly nodded and returned to the main hall.
Bai Ruozhu beamed again at Jiang Yichun before striding into the kitchen. Even with a mask on, his charisma made her heart flutter. However, there were things that needed to be done, especially since she would hardly have any free time today.
At the gate of the Bai family’s yard, tables and chairs had already been set up with people’s assistance. Bai Yihong and Lin Ping had borrowed tables from other households beforehand and managed to set up six tables at the entrance, each capable of accommodating eight people. They planned to use a revolving banquet format where guests would take turns at the tables. The villagers were already familiar with such an arrangement, so there was no need to worry about seat-snatching disputes.
"Ruozhu’s back! Come take a look, how are the cold dishes we made?" Madame Li saw Ruozhu enter the kitchen and asked with a smile.
Ruozhu looked over and saw that the cold dishes were nicely prepared and neatly arranged.
"You all did a great job, I truly appreciate your help." Ruozhu replied with a smile. Then, she spotted the chopped chili peppers in the century-egg dish. Grabbing a handful of chopped coriander, she garnished the middle of the dish.
"Look, our Ruozhu really knows her stuff. This garnish makes it much more refreshing." Madame Jin commented with a smile.
Together, they adjusted five more dishes in the same fashion.
"Alright, we can start serving the cold dishes. You, go ahead and prepare the hot ones." Madame Li suggested.
Without further ado, Bai Ruozhu embarked upon her tasks, knowing time was running short. She thanked the ladies and began her work.
Today’s feast incorporated four cold dishes, two mammalian meats and two vegetarian courses, along with eight hot dishes including substantial ones like pork, fish, and rabbit, three semi-mammalian dishes and two vegetarian ones. In addition to this, there was a salty and a sweet soup, with the staple being mixed grain steamed buns and rice.
As soon as the four cold dishes and wine were laid out, some people were eager to start eating. Yet, the village chief’s speech managed to grab everyone’s attention. They wished to pack the yard of the Bai family as if merely seeing the parent official would ensure a bountiful harvest the next year.
Despite being present in the yard, Jiang Yichun didn’t accompany the rest into the main hall. He found a new spot from where he could view the kitchen, a hint of smile touching his lips hidden behind his mask.